The Conners Season 2 Episode 10 Review: Throwing a Christian to a Bear
Christine Orlando
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It's the one thing that helps them make sense of the world around them.
The one thing that helps get the Conners get through the week.
The one thing that pulls the family together during dark times.
No, it's not God, church, or country...
It's football.
Dan: Tomorrow’s Sunday so I want everyone dressed appropriately so we can pay our respects to the one thing that helps us make sense of this world and gives us the strength to make it through another week.
Everyone: Amen.
Harris: We’re going to church?
Jackie: Come on, Harris, on a Sunday? We’re watching the Bears / Packers game!
"Throwing a Christian to a Bear" was one of the funniest installments of The Conners Season 2 thus far as it both showcased America's love of football and poked fun at its inexplainable obsession with the sport.
For many, their passion for the sport borders on religious ferocity, while others, like poor Mark, must acquire an interest or risk being ostracized.
Mark: I have something to tell you, Grandpa, and I hope you’ll still love me afterward. I don’t care about football.
Dan: Give me a minute, Pal. I do still love you but everything’s different now. I understand this gay thing but this is a choice.
Mark gets extra points for being honest about how he feels. It's one of the reasons he's so endearing. He can say he doesn't like something without judging those who do.
Unfortunately for Becky, Wyatt didn't have that same talent.
Granted, the Conner family was less than welcoming to Wyatt in all of his bay green and cheese gold glory but once a Packers fan sets foot outside of Wisconsin, they have to realize that the Cheesehead they're sporting might not garner the adoration they're used to back home.
I just want you to know that I’ve been caught drinking beer, making pot cookies, and selling stolen goods but not one of those things has made them as upset as they are right now.
Harris
Why do the Conners hate the Packers? Because they are Bears fans.
That's really the only explanation needed.
Wyatt's problem isn't only that he roots for the wrong team, although he certainly doesn't get a pass on that because Dan and Jackie rib him mercilessly for it.
But besides the ridiculous cheesy headgear, he also doesn't take the game all that seriously and that might even be worse.
Wyatt: Maybe I’m mistaken but it sure seems like you guys are celebrating because a player got hurt.
Becky: It certainly looks that way. Shame!
Dan: Wyatt, if that was a Bear limping off the field you’d be celebrating.
Wyatt: I wouldn’t because as a Christian I don’t wish harm on anyone.
Dan: The Crusades, that was you guys, right?
If Wyatt actually put up a fight or seemed upset over his team sustaining an injury, Dan would have had more respect for him.
Instead, it sounded as though Wyatt was proclaiming himself a "real" Christian and that it made him better than Dan. That was the proverbial nail in Wyatt's coffin.
What Wyatt failed to see during one intense afternoon of football and mayonnaise-ladened salads was the love the Conners have for one another.
Wyatt called the family toxic but never took into account how Dan has worked all his life for his kids and opened his home to them and his grandkids without question or judgment.
Dan Conner is a good man, a superhero without the cape, but Wyatt didn't take the time to see that.
And Becky kicked him to the curb, the one right outside his own luxury vehicle before she messed with his presets.
Was Becky a bit childish? Yes, but it also said something that Wyatt didn't put up a fight. He just got out and walked away.
Dan was right about Becky. She's desperate to find someone for her and Beverly Rose, but she's been sober for all of a minute.
Becky needs to live her life and figure out who she is without using alcohol. When the right person comes along, she needs to have faith that she'll know it and hold on for all she's worth.
Jackie gambling on fantasy football was a litte more worrying.
Mark: Are you gambling?
Jackie: Yup. Fantasy football, I’m taking money from a bunch of suckers.
Darlene: Oh, so it’s like a mega-church.
It's easy to get hooked on online gambling, and it's great fun when you're winning, but Jackie doesn't have money to lose.
I'm hoping this was simply an add-on to the whole football story that enveloped The Conners Season 2 Episode 10 and not an ongoing issue for Jackie.
What I'm eagerly waiting to see is Jackie and Becky diving into making the Lunch Box a success. Roseanne and Jackie's history with the restaurant and Jackie and Becky's desperate need to rebuild their lives, makes the Lunch Box a storyline I'm hungry to see unfold.
But that's not the only business struggling to get off the ground in Lanford.
Ben was obviously depressed over the loss of his job. He didn't want to get out of bed and taking a shower was a major accomplishment.
But Darlene was not deterred.
It appears the loss of his magazine was Ben's first real loss whereas Darlene has suffered defeat after defeat after defeat, and it's made her good at picking herself up and continuing to move forward.
I give Ben credit for voicing his concern and worrying about Darlene and her family even though worry won't pay the bills.
Ben: I’m afraid to fail. The last time I did this, if I screwed up I only wrecked my life, now I take down you and your kids with me.
Darlene: What, you think failure’s new to my kids? We eat failure for breakfast and we’d have it again for lunch but we failed to plan so we don’t have any.
The Conner family knows failure, and they know how to keep fighting even when things look bleak, much like their favorite football team.
As thrilled as I am that Ben and Darlene are showing so much promise as a couple, I keep wondering about David.
Did I miss something? Didn't David move back to Lanford to be a part of his kids' lives?
Even if actor Johnny Galecki isn't available to make an appearance, it feels like David should still be mentioned from time to time, especially when it comes to his kids.
It appears that Harris is still living with her sketchy friend, Odessa, and coming home for food and laundry, yet there's been no mention of how her father feels about that or why he's not involved.
What's up with that?
But whether you love football or hate it, The Conners managed to highlight why the sport is important to so many while still poking fun at their over-the-top infatuation.
Well done.
Tell us whether you loved or hated The Conners Bears vs. Packers feud! Hit that BIG BLUE SHOW COMMENTS BUTTON below because we want to hear from you.
Then check back in for my review of The Conners Season 2 Episode 11. And until then, you can watch The Conners online here at TV Fanatic.
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C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
